Farmers Plant Wisely in Kharif with the help of the Soil Labs

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Kharif Sowing is on. It is very important for the farmer to know that what to sow or more important and weather the soil is suitable for the same or not? Here the role of soil health card comes in the aid of the farmer. But the mini soil testing labs are also helping the farmer to take the correct decision to sow the crop in Kharif accordingly.

Telangana Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy conducted a Press Coference in Delhi and informed the benefits of the soil testing machines and about other state government schmes for the benefit of the farmers.

Mini soil testing laboratories are conducting tests and handing over soil health cards to farmers in Telangana to enable them to cultivate suitable crops this Kharif season, Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said in New Delhi. As many as 2,050 mini soil testing labs have been set up in villages to assist farmers.

The Minister also said 300 crore would be spent on constructing platforms for farmers across the state to enable them to hold meetings on agricultural activities. An amount of 12 lakh would be spent on constructing each platform, he added.

At a press conference, he listed out all the measures taken by the Telangana Government for the benefit of farmers. The state is providing 24x7 power supply to over 23 lakh farm pumpsets, he said, adding that the Government has also envisaged plans to irrigate 1 crore acres by allocating 1.5 lakh crore for irrigation projects on Godavari and Krishna rivers. These include Kaleshwaram, Palamuru Ranga Reddy, Dindi and Sitarama projects.

"There is fast progress on these projects," Srinivas said, explaining that irrigation minister T Harish Rao was concentrating on making them a reality at the earliest. "By 2019, all projects will be completed," he said, adding that irrigation water has already reached 8 lakh acres in erstwhile Mahbubnagar district. From this year, farmers will also be provided paddy planting machines for agriculture work. "For the farmers to store their produce, 1,174 crore has been spent to construct new godowns to store 18.50 lakh tonnes of produce," he said.

Srinivas Reddy also further added that 58 lakh farmers are getting benefits under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, in which farmers get 8,000 per acre per year. "According to a survey report, farmers are using the money to buy seeds and fertilizes this Kharif," he said.